Punjab Cong criticises delayed paddy procurement

Published: Friday, October 17, 2008, 17:07 [IST]

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Chandigarh, Oct 17 (UNI) The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) today condemned the inadequate arrangements made for the procurement and lifting of paddy across the state by the Punjab Government.

In a memorandum submitted to Governor Gen (retd) S F Rodrigues, the PPCC claimed that farmers had been forced to sell their produce at lower rates than the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

There was anguish and frustration in the minds of the farming community since they have to wait for weeks to sell their produce in the 'mandis', the memorandum said. Due to the delay in procurement, lakhs of tones of paddy had been damaged by the recent rains in the mandis and the State Government is squarely responsible for this loss to the farmers, the memorandum said.

The government had not even compensated the farmers for the loss of paddy crop due to heavy rains and floods and now the delay the in procurement had further added to the woes of the farming community, the memorandum said.

The Congress appealed to the Governor to direct the government to procure the paddy in the interests of the farmers.